UPDATE - Erdogan unveils new projects at Istanbul mega-rally

Rally draws some 1.6M supporters in Yenikapi Square in runup to local elections one week from today

By Ali Murat Alhas

UPDATES WITH ERDOGAN'S QUOTES ON PROJECTS IN ISTANBUL; NEW HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

ANKARA (AA) - Addressing voters at a mega-rally in Istanbul Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced several projects to create jobs and benefit the economy.

The rally of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and its election ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) came just one week before Turkey faces critical local polls on March 31.

The rally was headlined by Erdogan, also the AK Party head, along with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli and Binali Yildirim, the party’s Istanbul mayoral candidate.

Erdogan said the rally drew 1.6 million supporters, citing official figures.

He said Turkey would establish a technology development facility worth 3.5 billion Turkish liras ($600 million), with a view to producing technology using its own resources.

He added that Istanbul, Turkey’s commercial capital, would host a "giant" 900 million Turkish liras ($156 million) movie production facility.

"We’re establishing the 6 billion Turkish liras [$1.04 billion] Tuzla Biotechnology Valley, where antibodies, vaccines, lenses, and chemotherapy drugs will be produced. It will create 20,000 jobs," he vowed.

President Erdogan went on to say that 17 large-scale rehabilitation centers would be set up to assist 200,000 disabled people in Istanbul.

The massive rally in Yenikapi Square, spanning some 270,000 square meters, featured a huge platform, large speakers, and mega-video screens so all the spectators could see the stage.

With the clock ticking down to March 31, Election Day, Turkey is seeing daily campaign rallies and speeches by candidates and political leaders.

Twelve political parties are set to compete in the local polls.

The AK Party and MHP joined forces for the elections under the People’s Alliance banner.

Their opponents are the Nation Alliance, which is a bloc including the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Good (IYI) Party.

* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara

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